Trial of woman accused of killing ex-husband opens

Donna Horwitz, of Jupiter, is accused of shooting Lanny Horwitz

Donna Horwitz, charged with first-degree murder with a firearm in the September… (Palm Beach County Sheriff's…)

January 11, 2013|By Marc Freeman, Sun Sentinel

Someone shot Lanny Horwitz nine times, killing him on the morning of Sept. 30, 2011 inside the master bathroom of his home in the exclusive Admiral's Cove community in Jupiter.

The 66-year-old real estate attorney was on the floor naked, and in a pool of blood and shattered shower door glass, when a security guard responded to a 7 a.m. alarm call from the residence.

Horwitz's ex-wife, Donna, and son, Radley, also were inside at the time — and both now are the main figures in a criminal trial that opened Friday in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

Donna Horwitz, 66, is charged with first-degree murder with a handgun, accused of slaying Lanny Horwitz in a rage with two of his own handguns. Radley Horwitz, 38, is not charged in the case but his mother's attorney labeled him a "gun fanatic" and possible suspect.

But investigators turned Horwitz's body over and found multiple bullet wounds, including a close shot to the mouth.

Six days later, police arrested Donna Horwitz. She was an "angry ex-wife," fed up with Lanny Horwitz's cold shoulder while he was sweet toward a female business partner, McRoberts said.

While conceding that Donna Horwitz's fingerprints and DNA were not found on the murder weapons, McRoberts called her "an accomplished person with guns" with time spent at shooting ranges.

"A longtime rocky relationship ended in disaster," said McRoberts of the pair that had married and divorced twice over the years. "This defendant had had enough."

But Grey Tesh, Horwitz's defense attorney, said not so fast: "This is a case about jumping to conclusions."

In opening arguments, Tesh attacked the prosecution, citing a lack of physical evidence or a motive to incriminate Horwitz.

It was a "third party" who carried out the murder, left a "bloody smudge" on a gate outside the home, and fled before authorities responded, Tesh said.

He reminded jurors it's not his job to prove his client's innocence, but he offered theories for them to consider.

Tesh said Radley Horwitz was struggling with financial problems, unable to find a job because of a felony gun conviction. Radley was the beneficiary on his father's $500,000 life insurance policy, he said.

"He had a half million reasons to have his dad dead," Tesh said.

Radley Horwitz also acted "cool as a cucumber" immediately after the shooting, Tesh said. He told the jury Radley had owned a copy of the controversial book "Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors," which describes how to kill and get away with it.

Donna Horwitz had no financial worries because she had the support of her wealthy mother, Tesh said. He also rejected the notion that Horwitz was jealous, noting that during a search of computer records investigators found "nothing about any kind of hatred for Lanny."